April 30, 2008

Vikingsholm castle, nestled on the shore of Emerald Bay, is one of the finest examples of Scandinavian architecture in the Western Hemisphere.

Lora Josephine Knight purchased the property encompassing the head of Emerald Bay and Fannette Island in 1928 for $250,000.

Before starting construction of the summer home late that year, Knight and her architect traveled to Scandinavia to gather ideas for the construction of the house. Work on the building ceased at first snowfall in the winter of 1928, and was started up again in the spring of 1929. Two hundred workers were brought to Emerald Bay and started hand hewing the timbers, carving the intricate designs, hand planing the wood for the interior walls, and forging the hinges and latches. Most of the material to construct the home came from the Tahoe Basin.

The ideas for the construction came from buildings dating as far back as the 11th century. Some sections of the home contain no nails, pegs, or spikes. One of the interesting architectural details is the sod roof, which covers both the north and south wings of the complex.

Most of the furnishings in the home were originally selected by Knight and are typical of pieces used in Scandinavian homes of the period.

A step into Vikingsholm is like a step back into medieval times and a chance to gain an appreciation of a unique style of architecture and the person who had it built. The home may be toured from mid-June through Labor Day. Tours are given from 10 a.m. through 4 p.m. every half-hour.

Vikingsholm can be reached by parking in the Harvey West parking lot by Highway 89 at Emerald Bay and taking the trail, which is 1 mile in length. Call (530) 525-7232 for details. For more information, visit the http://www.vikingsholm.com/